This invention relates to the discharge of materials from containers, and more particularly to hoppers for emptying a solid commodity from a transportation vehicle such as a railroad hopper car.
The discharge hoppers used at the underside of railroad cars may be controlled by a sliding gate or valve member that is movable along a generally straight line path. These gates may become coated or fouled, they may wear out, or they may need to be cleaned, repaired or replaced for other reasons. In prior hopper arrangements, it has been necessary for the workman who services the gates to remove the entire hopper, or to enter the inside of the car itself, or to move under the car in a dangerous location over or between the rails, in order to have access to a defective or dirty gate.